Embryology Flashcards
Where does the allantois originate from?
Evagination of the secondary yolksac (future hindgut) endoderm. Will stick out into the extraembryonic (somatopleuric) mesoderm alongside the umbilical arteries and umbilical vein, since the connecting stalk forms the vessels which communicate with the placenta.
What does the allantois give rise to in the fetus? What does it communicate with?
The distal part (away from the cloaca, communicating with the connecting stalk / umbilical cord ) should involute into a fibrous band.
The remainder of the allantois forms the urachus (which communicates with the umbilicus and also involutes into a fibrous band). the urogenital sinus, and the urethra.
It communicates with the hindgut structures of the urogenital sinus, which will form the bladder and the urethra.
What will patent urachus present with?
Communication between bladder and umbilicus via urachus -> urine leakage from the umbilicus
What give rise to the median and medial umbilical ligaments?
MediaN = allaNtois
MediaL = umbilicaL arteries (paired)
What causes congenital umbilical hernia?
Incomplete closure of umbilical ring, due to defect in linea alba.
Reducible, asymptomatic, benign, and self-resolving. Usually minimal inclusion of abdominal contents.
How do you tell a vitelline fistula apart from a patent urachus?
Vitelline fistula will show meconium draining thru the umbilical ring.
Remember, vitelline fistula is due to Meckel’s diverticulum persisting and communicating with umbilicus. It, along with the urachus, normally communicates with the umbilicus. However it is present due to the vitelline duct, which connects the MIDGUT to the yolksac.
What goes wrong in a PAX6 mutation?
6543
Eye development is controlled by the PAX6 gene.
Mutation of PAX6 gene -> congenital aniridia
What is the most important transcription factor in guiding the segmental organization of the embryo?
Hox (Homeobox) genes
-> if you aren’t sure of a transcription factor, guess this.
What area of the embryo releases Sonic Hedgehog? What does it do?
Zone of polarizing activity - controls development of anteroposterior axis of the limbs
Also controls CNS development -> deficiency leads to holoprosencephaly (as in Patau syndrome)
What two growth factors are released at the end of the limb, and what is this limb end called?
Apical epidermal ridge - releases FGF and Wnt-7
What do FGF and Wnt-7 control?
FGF - controls elongation on the proximal-distal axis
Wnt-7 - controls the only axis we haven’t mentioned so far -> dorsal-ventral
What is the morula?
The compacted embryo, in stages after the third cleavage (8-cell stage). Blastomeres (individual cells) adhere tightly to eachother and cell divisions between blastomeres are no longer visible (squished together)
When does the morula turn into a blastocyst?
Via cavitation -> formation of a cystic cavity, the blastocoel.
Cavity has trophoectoderm on the outside and an inner cell mass
When does implantation occur?
Between days 6-8, this is when the trophoectoderm differentiates into syncytiotrophoblasts and begins secreting hCG
What is the definition of gastrulation?
The formation of the trilaminar embryo
How is the extraembryonic coelom formed?
Small lacunae appear in the extraembryonic mesoderm (between Heuser’s membrane which lines the primary yolk sac, and the trophooblast layer) and coalesce. Within 24 hours, this chorionic cavity is formed.
What are the two layers of the extraembryonic mesoderm after the chorionic cavity is formed?
- Splanchnopleuric mesoderm - lines the primary yolk sac
2. Somatopleuric mesoderm - lines the cytotrophoblast and continues around amniotic cavity
What forms the secondary / definitive yolk sac?
Cavity lined by migrating extraembryonic endoderm, it is much smaller than primary yolk sac.
-> While the chorionic cavity is forming, a second wave of hypoblast cells proliferates and displaces the Heuser’s membrane lining the primary yolk sac. These hypoblast cells which line the splanchnopleuric mesoderm become the extraembryonic endoderm, forming the yolk sac. The cells which are displaced are the primary yolk sac, which turns into cysts and are displaced to the opposite side of the embryo.
What is the function of the connecting stalk?
It is a mass of extraembryonic mesoderm which connects the embryo to the chorionic plate, since the chorionic cavity is getting much larger.
What is the chorionic plate?
Also called chorion, it is the wall of the chorionic cavity. It is somatopleuric mesoderm + cytotrophoblast + syncytiotrophoblast
What is the role of the secondary (definitive) yolk sac in humans?
Transfer nutrients in weeks 2 and 3 before the uteroplacental circulation is established. Hemopoesis first occurs in the vascularized extraembryonic splanchnopleuric mesoderm until week 6 it starts in liver. Will also give rise to primordial germ cells in endodermal layer.
What are the three stages of transformation of the chorionic stem villi?
- primary - columns of cytotrophoblast surrounded by syncytiotrophobolast
- secondary - extraembyronic somatopleuric mesoderm invades to form core
- tertiary - mesenchymal cells in the extraembryonic somatopleuric mesoderm differentiate into capillaries and blood cells
What are the caudal and cranial ends where the ectoderm and endoderm adhere?
Cranial: Buccopharyngeal
Caudal: Cloacal membrane
What is the allantois?
Structure forming from outpouching of extraembryonic endoderm from caudal wall of definitive yolk sac into the connecting stalk. It will be incorporated into the umbilical cord later, and is rudimentary in humans
What is the neurenteric canal?
Transient connection from yolk sac to amniotic cavity as a result of formation of notochordal plate (Arises from lumen of notochord canal)
What is the neural plate? Where is it?
Neural ectoderm forms this structure. It is more cranial since the notocordal process ends at the prechordal plate and runs mostly cranial
This is the area of ectoderm between the prechordal plate and the primitive node (where the notochord is)
Where is the paraxial mesoderm segmented vs unsegmented?
Unsegmented when it is rostral (cranial) to otic vesicles, will become head mesoderm
Segmented when it is caudal to the otic vesicles, which will form somites on both sides of the developing neural tube
What are somites? Which components are dorsal and which ones are ventral?
Somites are condensations of mesenchymal cells on both sides of the neural tube. They develop from segmented PARAXIAL mesoderm.
Dorsal: Myotome, dermatome, lateral somite
Ventral: Sclerotome
What is the function of the sclerotome?
Dorsal element of the somite, it loses its compact organization first and migrates towards developing notochord and neural tube to form vertebral column later in development.
What is the function of the lateral somite?
Migrates to final destinations and gives rise to all voluntary striated muscles of body wall and limbs (hypaxial muscles)
What is the dermomyotome?
Two segments of the dorsal somite which fuse and give rise to different but related things
Dermatome - gives rise to DERMIS of skin over dorsal region of trunk
Myotome - gives rise to segmented muscles of axial skeleton (epaxial). I.e. intrinsic muscles of the back and ribs associated with spinal cord
What does the intermediate mesoderm give rise to?
It is unsegmented. Gives rise to:
Connective tissue and smooth muscle of gonads, urinary system, reproductive tracts
-> gonadal ridge
What forms the intraembryonic coelom? and what two layers does it create?
Lacunae form within the lateral (plate) mesoderm, which coalesce and form a continuous cavity. Forms two new layers of mesoderm: Somatic (parietal) and splanchnic (visceral)
How do the extraembryonic and intraembryonic coelom’s meet?
Whenever the somatopleure and splanchnopleure split at the edges of the intraembryonic coelom, breaking the lateral mesoderm apart. This opens the coelom.
Lateral mesoderm at this point forms the somatic (parietal) and splanchnic (visceral) mesoderm
What does the somatic (parietal) mesoderm give rise to?
Skeleton of the limbs, connective tissues of limbs and trunk, dermis of ventral body wall and limbs, connective tissues of external genitalia, smooth muscle and connective tissues of the blood vessels
What does the splanchnic (visceral) mesoderm give rise to?
mesoderm give rise to?
Smooth muscle and CT of GI tract, associated glands, and abdominal mesenteries. Smooth muscle and CT of respiratory tract and associated glands, cardiac muscle and the smooth muscle and connective tissue of their blood vessels.
What is the septum transversum?
It is the most cranially located mesoderm, cranial to the buccopharyngeal membrane as well as the cardiac mesoderm, and is adjacent to the extraembryonic mesoderm. It is a mesenchymal cell mass
What is the fate of the septum transversum?
Becomes the majority of the mesenchyme of the developing liver, and will also give rise to epicardium, central portions of diaphragm, and esophageal mesentery. (It is located outside the buccopharyngeal membrane)
What is the rhombencephalon and its two secondary subdivisions? What do they give rise to?
Hindbrain brain vesicle
- Metencephalon - pons and cerebellum
- Myelencephalon - medulla and spinal cord
What do neural crest cells in the trunk region become?
Dorsal route: leads to skin, give rise to the melanocytes of epidermis and hair follicles.
Ventral route: They travel between anterior parts of somites and will form dorsal root ganglia, sympathetic ganglia, parasympathetic ganglia, para-aortic ganglia, Schwann cells, and C-cells of adrenal medulla
What forms the midgut?
The portion of the gut lying between the foregut and hindgut, but still connected to the yolk sac. Forming the midgut pinches off the yolk sac somewhat and forms the vitelline duct
What forms the peritoneal cavity?
The transverse folding brings ends of the somatopleure together, forming the ventral wall of the peritoneal cavity. It is lined with splanchnic mesoderm (around the gut), inside of outer wall is somatic mesoderm, and outside of outer wall is surface ectoderm
Why is the definitive foregut / hindgut different than the definitive midgut?
There is a space where the splanchnopleure and somatopleure cannot fuse because the yolk sac is preserved. The small connecting tube is called the vitelline duct
What structures pass through the umbilical ring?
- Connecting stalk:
Contains: Allantois, and umbilical vessels (two arteries and one vein). - Vitelline duct with vitelline vessels (from primitive hemangiogenesis, connecting to yolk sac)
- Canal connecting peritoneal cavity of fetus to extraembryonic (chorionic) cavity, since the surface ectoderm is unable to fuse when the yolk sac is hanging out
What is the mechanism of toxicity in fetal alcohol syndrome? What is the worst possible outcome?
Failure of cell migration
Heart-lung fistulas with holoprosencephaly can occur in the most severe form
What does fusing of the chorion with twinning tell you?
They are definitely identical twins
Can patients with uterus didelphys have children?
Yes -> double all the Mullerian duct structures due to complete failure of fusion, but pregnancy is possible
What are pharyngeal clefts, arches, and pouches?
Cleft - ectoderm in groove, caudal to corresponding arch
Arches - mesoderm / neural crest between the grooves.
Pouch - outpockets of pharyngeal endoderm that lies close to to cleft in the grooves (making a membrane).
Arch is cranial to the corresponding cleft/pouch membrane
What is the content of the arches of the pharyngeal apparatus?
Mesoderm - muscles, arches of the aorta (i.e. arch 1 of aorta is in the first subdivision, gives rise to the maxillary artery)
Neural crest - gives rise to bones and cartilages of the face
What are the subdivisions of the first pharyngeal arch and what do they outline?
- Maxillary prominence (Cranial)
- Mandibular prominence (Caudal)
Outlines the stomodeum (primitive mouth)
What muscles are formed by arch 1? What innervates them?
Muscles of mastication, mylohyoid, anterior belly of digastric, tensor tympani and tensor palatini
All sensory / motor innervation of arch 1 comes from trigeminal nerve (CNV)
What bones form by endochondral ossification from arch 1? What is the function of the rest of the cartilage?
Malleus and incus only.
Makes sense because tensor tympani is V3-innervated and inserts on malleus.
Rest of mandibular cartilage (e.g. Meckel’s cartilage) just functions transiently to reinforce the developing strucutures
What bones from arch 1 form by intramembranous ossification?
Palatine, maxilla, mandible, zygomatic arch, part of temporal bone